Editing – Where to Start

Yet how do you become good at this divine art? Well let us at West Lothian Writers – and a few articles we found on the net help you! Everything you could possibly want to know is inside!

First we need to define what editing is. Dictionary.com define editing as:

to revise or correct, as a manuscript.

Now we now what it means, what is the best way to edit your own work. Luckily we have found a few websites that can help and they all say fairly similar things and in numbered lists as well which is nice! Our three favourite sites are:

The one thing I’d like to add that isn’t on any of the above lists is that editing is something that gets easier with time. Like writing, the more you do it, the easier it becomes. To help with that why not try out this quick editing exercise from Mark Nicol on Daily Writing Tips. Read through the paragraph below and see if you can fix all the mistakes. You can find Nicol’s edits here.

“On Jan. 20th, 1960 then-President John Kennedy delivered his notorious Ask Not What You Can Do for Your Country Speech. Kennedy launched not only America’s Space Program that sent men to the moon, but stood up to Russia when they threatened the free world during the missile crisis. During his Presidency, Peace Corps was formed; the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was signed by the Soviets; and the Civil Rights Act was passed. (However, he stumbled when, in a speech in Berlin in 1963, he told the Germans, “Ich bin ein Berliner.” He intended to communicate “I am a Berliner,” but the way he said it meant, “I am a jelly doughnut.”) Only 42-years-old when elected, the youngest president, his legacy is a less than three year presidency compared with Camelot.”

What is your favourite editing tip? Or have we missed anything out? Post your thoughts below or on our Facebook Page!

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